Nitrogen Credit Trading as a Mechanism for Riparian Buffer Establishment on Pennsylvania Farmland

Nitrogen Credit Trading as a Mechanism for Riparian Buffer Establishment on Pennsylvania Farmland PDF Author: Patrick Boleman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Nutrient pollution from agricultural sources has been a large contributor to the decline in the health of the Chesapeake Bay. According to the Chesapeake Bay Programs (CBP) Watershed Model estimates, agricultural sources constitute 42% of the total nitrogen pollution entering the Bay as of 2014, the largest source by any sector. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to remain the largest contributor to nitrogen loading into the Chesapeake Bay of any state within the Bay watershed. In a recent report by the CBP, Pennsylvania agriculture is lagging behind other sectors in nitrogen pollution reduction. Vegetated riparian buffers are a common agricultural best management practice used to reduce runoff from adjacent upland fields resulting in the abatement of nutrient and sediment loading. Studies have shown riparian buffers to be effective at removing nitrogen loading from upland areas, such as from agricultural fields. Numerous programs have attempted to increase buffer establishment through a variety of mechanisms however other incentives must be implemented in order to meet buffer establishment goals set forth by the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.Nutrient credit trading has been proposed as a potential mechanism for reducing non-point source nutrient pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay such as from agriculture. Nitrogen credits are currently being traded in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, however non-point sources compose a small percentage of the total nitrogen credit supply. This study evaluated the ability of agricultural riparian buffers to produce nitrogen credits within the Pennsylvania Nutrient Credit Trading Program as a revenue generating mechanism to incentivize buffer adoption by Pennsylvania farmers. The variation in nitrogen credit trading profits from geographic location, buffer type and size, and farming practices were evaluated to determine the feasibility of nitrogen credit production as an adequate incentive for buffer establishment. Nitrogen credit trading was compared to alternative buffer incentive programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to assess the benefits and disadvantages of credit trading as an incentive.

Nitrogen Credit Trading as a Mechanism for Riparian Buffer Establishment on Pennsylvania Farmland

Nitrogen Credit Trading as a Mechanism for Riparian Buffer Establishment on Pennsylvania Farmland PDF Author: Patrick Boleman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Nutrient pollution from agricultural sources has been a large contributor to the decline in the health of the Chesapeake Bay. According to the Chesapeake Bay Programs (CBP) Watershed Model estimates, agricultural sources constitute 42% of the total nitrogen pollution entering the Bay as of 2014, the largest source by any sector. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to remain the largest contributor to nitrogen loading into the Chesapeake Bay of any state within the Bay watershed. In a recent report by the CBP, Pennsylvania agriculture is lagging behind other sectors in nitrogen pollution reduction. Vegetated riparian buffers are a common agricultural best management practice used to reduce runoff from adjacent upland fields resulting in the abatement of nutrient and sediment loading. Studies have shown riparian buffers to be effective at removing nitrogen loading from upland areas, such as from agricultural fields. Numerous programs have attempted to increase buffer establishment through a variety of mechanisms however other incentives must be implemented in order to meet buffer establishment goals set forth by the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.Nutrient credit trading has been proposed as a potential mechanism for reducing non-point source nutrient pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay such as from agriculture. Nitrogen credits are currently being traded in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, however non-point sources compose a small percentage of the total nitrogen credit supply. This study evaluated the ability of agricultural riparian buffers to produce nitrogen credits within the Pennsylvania Nutrient Credit Trading Program as a revenue generating mechanism to incentivize buffer adoption by Pennsylvania farmers. The variation in nitrogen credit trading profits from geographic location, buffer type and size, and farming practices were evaluated to determine the feasibility of nitrogen credit production as an adequate incentive for buffer establishment. Nitrogen credit trading was compared to alternative buffer incentive programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to assess the benefits and disadvantages of credit trading as an incentive.

Riparian Buffer Function with Respect to Nitrogen Transformation and Temperature Along Lowland Agricultural Streams in Skagit County, Washington

Riparian Buffer Function with Respect to Nitrogen Transformation and Temperature Along Lowland Agricultural Streams in Skagit County, Washington PDF Author: Carrie Elise Monohan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Buffer zones (Ecosystem management)
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description


The Creation of Markets for Ecosystem Services in the United States

The Creation of Markets for Ecosystem Services in the United States PDF Author: Mattijs van Maasakkers
Publisher: Anthem Press
ISBN: 1783086041
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 127

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Book Description
The Creation of Markets for Ecosystem Services in the United States is a detailed analysis of the most advanced efforts to create markets for ecosystem services in the United States. With the help of in-depth case studies of three well-known attempts to create such markets––in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Ohio River basin and the Willamette River basin––the book explains why very few of these markets have actually succeeded even after close to two decades of much scholarly enthusiasm, significant federal funding and concerted efforts by NGOs, government agencies and private businesses. Based on interviews, policy analysis and participatory observation, three features of markets for ecosystem services emerge as particularly problematic. First, the logic of displacement or the idea that particular elements of an ecosystem can be separated and traded across landscapes or watersheds runs counter to political interests, environmental beliefs and people's connections to specific places. The second problem is that of measurement. Quantification methods embed a range of often contentious assumptions and decisions about what counts when restoring ecosystems. The third problem is related to participation in environmental decision-making.

Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act

Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309177812
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description
The Mississippi River is, in many ways, the nation's best known and most important river system. Mississippi River water quality is of paramount importance for sustaining the many uses of the river including drinking water, recreational and commercial activities, and support for the river's ecosystems and the environmental goods and services they provide. The Clean Water Act, passed by Congress in 1972, is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States, employing regulatory and nonregulatory measures designed to reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways. The Clean Water Act has reduced much pollution in the Mississippi River from "point sources" such as industries and water treatment plants, but problems stemming from urban runoff, agriculture, and other "non-point sources" have proven more difficult to address. This book concludes that too little coordination among the 10 states along the river has left the Mississippi River an "orphan" from a water quality monitoring and assessment perspective. Stronger leadership from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is needed to address these problems. Specifically, the EPA should establish a water quality data-sharing system for the length of the river, and work with the states to establish and achieve water quality standards. The Mississippi River corridor states also should be more proactive and cooperative in their water quality programs. For this effort, the EPA and the Mississippi River states should draw upon the lengthy experience of federal-interstate cooperation in managing water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

Porous Pavements

Porous Pavements PDF Author: Bruce Ferguson
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1420038435
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 600

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Book Description
Pavements are the most ubiquitous of all man-made structures, and they have an enormous impact on environmental quality. They are responsible for hydrocarbon pollutants, excess runoff, groundwater decline and the resulting local water shortages, temperature increases in the urban "heat island," and for the ability of trees to extend their roots in

Achieving Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay

Achieving Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309210828
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary, as well as an important commercial and recreational resource. However, excessive amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from human activities and land development have disrupted the ecosystem, causing harmful algae blooms, degraded habitats, and diminished populations of many species of fish and shellfish. In 1983, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) was established, based on a cooperative partnership among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state of Maryland, and the commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia, and the District of Columbia, to address the extent, complexity, and sources of pollutants entering the Bay. In 2008, the CBP launched a series of initiatives to increase the transparency of the program and heighten its accountability and in 2009 an executive order injected new energy into the restoration. In addition, as part of the effect to improve the pace of progress and increase accountability in the Bay restoration, a two-year milestone strategy was introduced aimed at reducing overall pollution in the Bay by focusing on incremental, short-term commitments from each of the Bay jurisdictions. The National Research Council (NRC) established the Committee on the Evaluation of Chesapeake Bay Program Implementation for Nutrient Reduction in Improve Water Quality in 2009 in response to a request from the EPA. The committee was charged to assess the framework used by the states and the CBP for tracking nutrient and sediment control practices that are implemented in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and to evaluate the two-year milestone strategy. The committee was also to assess existing adaptive management strategies and to recommend improvements that could help CBP to meet its nutrient and sediment reduction goals. The committee did not attempt to identify every possible strategy that could be implemented but instead focused on approaches that are not being implemented to their full potential or that may have substantial, unrealized potential in the Bay watershed. Because many of these strategies have policy or societal implications that could not be fully evaluated by the committee, the strategies are not prioritized but are offered to encourage further consideration and exploration among the CBP partners and stakeholders.

Soil and Water Quality

Soil and Water Quality PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309049334
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 541

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Book Description
How can the United States meet demands for agricultural production while solving the broader range of environmental problems attributed to farming practices? National policymakers who try to answer this question confront difficult trade-offs. This book offers four specific strategies that can serve as the basis for a national policy to protect soil and water quality while maintaining U.S. agricultural productivity and competitiveness. Timely and comprehensive, the volume has important implications for the Clean Air Act and the 1995 farm bill. Advocating a systems approach, the committee recommends specific farm practices and new approaches to prevention of soil degradation and water pollution for environmental agencies. The volume details methods of evaluating soil management systems and offers a wealth of information on improved management of nitrogen, phosphorus, manure, pesticides, sediments, salt, and trace elements. Landscape analysis of nonpoint source pollution is also detailed. Drawing together research findings, survey results, and case examples, the volume will be of interest to federal, state, and local policymakers; state and local environmental and agricultural officials and other environmental and agricultural specialists; scientists involved in soil and water issues; researchers; and agricultural producers.

EPA-903-R.

EPA-903-R. PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description


Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century

Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309148960
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 598

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Book Description
In the last 20 years, there has been a remarkable emergence of innovations and technological advances that are generating promising changes and opportunities for sustainable agriculture, yet at the same time the agricultural sector worldwide faces numerous daunting challenges. Not only is the agricultural sector expected to produce adequate food, fiber, and feed, and contribute to biofuels to meet the needs of a rising global population, it is expected to do so under increasingly scarce natural resources and climate change. Growing awareness of the unintended impacts associated with some agricultural production practices has led to heightened societal expectations for improved environmental, community, labor, and animal welfare standards in agriculture. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century assesses the scientific evidence for the strengths and weaknesses of different production, marketing, and policy approaches for improving and reducing the costs and unintended consequences of agricultural production. It discusses the principles underlying farming systems and practices that could improve the sustainability. It also explores how those lessons learned could be applied to agriculture in different regional and international settings, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. By focusing on a systems approach to improving the sustainability of U.S. agriculture, this book can have a profound impact on the development and implementation of sustainable farming systems. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century serves as a valuable resource for policy makers, farmers, experts in food production and agribusiness, and federal regulatory agencies.

Urban Stormwater Management in the United States

Urban Stormwater Management in the United States PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309125391
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 611

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Book Description
The rapid conversion of land to urban and suburban areas has profoundly altered how water flows during and following storm events, putting higher volumes of water and more pollutants into the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These changes have degraded water quality and habitat in virtually every urban stream system. The Clean Water Act regulatory framework for addressing sewage and industrial wastes is not well suited to the more difficult problem of stormwater discharges. This book calls for an entirely new permitting structure that would put authority and accountability for stormwater discharges at the municipal level. A number of additional actions, such as conserving natural areas, reducing hard surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots), and retrofitting urban areas with features that hold and treat stormwater, are recommended.